Lasts

Para kay Margarette Martha Graciano, tama nang minsang nabaliw siya para sa pag-ibig. Tumigil ang mundo niya para sa pagmamahal na ngayo'y pinaniniwalaan niyang hindi para sa kaniya. Kinalimutan niya na ang batang puso, ang batang puso na umibig nang husto sa lalaking unti-unti niya nang kinalimutan. Ngunit sa pagbabalik sa lugar kung saan nais niyang lumagay na sa tahimik, ay siya ring pagbabalik ng taong takot siyang sirain ulit ang mga pader na matayog niyang itinayo para sa kaniyang sarili. Timothy Ian Lawrenceville, Margarette's greatest first love, heartbreak, and her biggest downfall. Kailanganmay hindi na niya lilingunin ang lalaki. Ngunit hinding-hindi na nga ba babalik pa kung may malaking sugat na naiwan sa mga puso nila? Paano kung ang pag-ibig na mismong gustong kalimutan ay may marka ng kahapong patuloy na bitbit ni Margarette. Ang kanilang anak, ang batang inalagaan niya ng ilang taon, pinuno ng pagmamahal at aruga ay nagnanais din ng kalinga ng isang amang ipinagkait ni Margarette rito dahil sa kaniyang poot dahil sa paniniwalang nagtaksil ang lalaki sa kaniya. Wala nga ba talagang pangalawang pag-ibig at pagkakataon, o sadyang hindi naman talaga ito nakalimutan kahit lumipas ang panahon. It marked, a mark that would not fade easily. A Mark that lasts forever.

As the quality control supervisor of an import company, I need to finish up the storage of the final batch of king crabs before the Independence Day festivities. Just after entering the subzero freezer, the door is immediately locked shut. The alarm system also fails. When I realize I'm starting to lose body heat, I immediately take out the hand warmers from the emergency kit. However, the moment I apply them, a chilling sensation makes me instantly realize something is wrong. I scream from the cold, and the walkie-talkie transmits the boisterous laughter of my fiance, Martin Clay. "We're live-streaming and challenging the company's 'Ice Queen' to be locked in the freezer. Let's see how long she lasts!" The flirty voice of his female colleague, Lilian Saunders, also comes through, "Sierra, smile for the folks in the live stream! The number one donor wants to see it!" I instantly understand that they're live-streaming a prank on me. Not only did they lock me in the freezer, but they've also replaced my life-saving hand warmers with cooling patches meant for fevers! I grit my teeth, trying hard to stay calm as I call out to them for help. "The spare… spare hand warmers… Give them to me!" My fiance's voice rings out from the walkie-talkie, sounding unconcerned, "Oops! Lily gets cold easily, and it's her time of the month. The spares are all being used to keep her belly warm! "You're so healthy that you can just jump around a little and you'll warm up! You might even get some tips from the number one donor!" I stop arguing with them. With frozen hands, I pull out the signal flare gun and aim it at the most valuable and mysterious cargo in the freezer—a tube of frozen sperm worth 200 million dollars.

After my brother, Don Matteo Sabella, finds out I have a crush on our family Consigliere, Lorenzo Gallo, for years, he spikes Lorenzo's wine and has him delivered to my bed. That night, he pushes deep into me, and we lose ourselves in each other. When the sky begins to lighten, Lorenzo stays, kisses my temple, and asks me to marry him. Now that we are married, he is all those things—gentle, perfect, and fiercely possessive—handing me almost everything I desire. I truly believe I've landed the kind of love every woman in our world dreams about. That illusion lasts until the day Matteo gets taken out in an assassination. After that, Lorenzo steps up as the Sabellas' new Don. It isn't long before he says he has family business to handle and disappears overseas for three years. Even on the day I deliver our daughter, Luna Gallo, he can't come home because of some emergency. Then I hear a recording that's blowing up on the family's internal network. His Consigliere chuckles and asks, "Don, what do you think has changed the most since you took over the family?" Lorenzo answers in this offhand tone, "It's definitely the fact that I can finally give those I care about most a home. But it also means I'm even more worried that Eliana and Sofia will be targeted because of me…" My blood runs cold. Eliana Rossi is his adopted sister, and Sofia is her daughter. Turns out every business trip, every absence, every so-called emergency Lorenzo has is about them. He has another home out there. That night, with my hands shaking, I dial the encrypted line. "Matteo, we've found the traitor. Isn't it time you stopped pretending to be dead and came to take Luna and me away?"